


Under Water

by User24601



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Dubious Consent, Eventual Smut, F/M, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Loss of Memory, Mpreg, Mystery, Other, Rape/Non-con Elements, Sexual Content, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-04-16 04:05:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14156316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/User24601/pseuds/User24601
Summary: Sam and Dean are on a case, chasing down an elusive demon. But something happened to Dean along the way. And surprise, surprise, he doesn't want to talk about it. Not that he remembers much of it anyway...What has happened to Dean and how has it affected him?





	1. Nightmare

Air, he needed air. The water surrounding him was dragging him down as Dean attempted to claw his way back to the surface. Not knowing how much more his lungs could take, he fought the urge to breathe when suddenly water came rushing up his nose and into his mouth.

Gasping in gulps of air, Dean sat straight up in bed, the sheets twisted around him. His t-shirt was plastered against his skin, damp with perspiration. 

“Dean?” Sam asked groggily from the other bed. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” replied Dean in a hushed tone. “I’m good. Just go back to sleep Sammy.”

Untangling his legs from the bedclothes, the older Winchester brother got up and headed to the bathroom. Flipping the switch and squinting at the sudden brightness, Dean stood and relieved himself before flushing the toilet and stepping over to the sink. He rinsed off his hands before cupping them and splashing his face with water a few times.

As he cupped his hands under the flowing water, Dean realized that he was incredibly thirsty, parched even. Bending down at the waist, he lowered his lips to the surface of the water in his hands and began to greedily gulp it down.

“You keep drinking like that and you’ll make yourself sick.”

“Jeez, Sam” exclaimed Dean, startled by his brother’s sudden appearance in the doorway. “Don’t sneak up on a guy like that.”

“Don’t pee with the door open,” Sam retorted.

“I’m a grown man, if I wanted to shut the door, I would’ve shut the door. Besides, you’re supposed to be asleep.”

“So are you,” the younger brother replied. “But this is the second night this week that you’ve woken up with nightmares.”

Dismissively Dean said, “Don’t worry about it. I’m fine. I’ve been through worse. We both have.”

“Dean,” implored Sam, “something isn’t right and you know it as well as I do.”

“I said,” Dean said menacingly, “don’t worry about it. Now get back to bed.”

Grabbing a few more gulps of water, Dean wiped his face on his sleeve before shutting the facet. Forcefully brushing past his younger brother, he stalked over to his bed.

 


	2. Breakfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapters...

“What will it be, sweetie?” the bland looking waitress asked Sam the next morning. 

He and Dean had stopped by at the local diner on their way out of town. They had been on the trail of a demon for the last month and they couldn’t manage to catch up with the bastard. Always a step behind, Sam had argued that they might as well stop and get a bite to eat. No sense hunting on an empty stomach.

“I’ll have the egg-white omelet please, extra spinach,” replied Sam.

“And for you?” inquired the woman.

Glancing up from the menu, Dean seemed totally distracted at not at all prepared to answer.

“Uh… I’ll just have water.”

“Just water? No food?” asked the perplexed waitress.

“Yes,” replied Dean. “But like a whole pitcher.”

Rolling her eyes, she replied, “Alright. I’ll be right back with that.” And she walked away.

“Dean,” Sam said incredulously, “you need to eat. Ever since we left Illinois, you’ve had barely anything to eat and you’ve been drinking water like a fish.”

“I’m just thirsty,” replied Dean with a shrug. “Besides, you’re always after me to cut back on the junk.”

“You’re going to get water poisoning.”

“That’s not a thing.”

“Sure it is. The chemistry of your brain can be affected when overhydration causes an electrolytes imbalance.”

“What did you do,” scoffed Dean, “memorize the dictionary?”

“Dean,” replied Sam, “I’m getting concerned.”

“Don’t be. I’m fine.”

“You weren’t fine when I found you —“

“Here you are dears,” interrupted the waitress and she set an omelet down in front of Sam and a jug of water in front of Dean. “Need anything else, just holler.”

Looking up at the woman with a grin, Dean replied, “Thank you very much,” then bending his head down so he could read her name tag, “Arleen.”

“Don’t mention it,” replied Arleen as she sauntered away.

“Dean,” said Sam.

“Eat your food,” Dean replied as he placed a straw in the pitcher and began to drink.

“We need to talk about this,” Sam hissed quietly.

Shaking his head ‘no’, Dean continued drinking his pitcher full of water.

 

 


	3. Hungry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Winchester boys make a pitstop for some grub.

Driving through Robert Singer’s old stomping grounds, Sam and Dean decided to pull off of I-29 into Sioux Falls to grab a bite to eat. Well, a bite to eat for Sam that is.

“Why is it,” asked Sam, “whenever we came through here to visit Bobby, that we never actually drove into Sioux Falls proper?”

“I dunno,” replied Dean. “Bobby’s place was way out in the middle of nowhere. I don’t think it was actually within city limits.”

“Yeah,” said Sam. “If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought it was some podunk town instead of a bustling city with the population of 178,500 people.”

“Where _did_ you get that number?” Dean asked skeptically. 

“There was a sign as we drove in,” replied Sam self-righteously.

“Idjit,” muttered Dean as he pulled into a parking lot.

“What did you say?” Sam responded hotly. 

“Nothing,” replied Dean. “Get out. Let’s get some food.”

“Dean,” remarked Sam as he climbed out of the car, “this is a grocery store, not a restaurant.”

“You wanted food. I brought you to a place with food. Besides, I’m sure they’ve got ready-to-eat food and maybe even a dining area. Come on, let’s go. I’m thirsty.”

Now it was Sam’s turn to mutter under his breath, “You’re always thirsty.”

Stepping into the entryway of the building, a full blast of air hit them in the face and Sam went to grab a flyer from the magazine rack. 

“Dean,” remarked Sam as they walked through the second set of automated doors, “they’ve got a two-for-one special on what they call Hy-Chi. What do you suppose that is? Dean? Dean!”

The older Winchester brother wasn’t listening as he walked over to the Italian department, too distracted by the pretty young woman, with a pair of long brown braids framing her slender face, making pizzas behind the counter to answer his younger brother.

“Dean,” Sam griped. 

“Hello,” said the young woman brightly. “Can I get you boys something?”

“Um…,” stuttered Sam looking up at the menu board.

“What do you recommend?” asked Dean as he leaned in with a smile.

“Well,” said the clerk, “depends on what you’re looking for. I’ve got hot cheese or pepperoni pizza ready. Or I can make you something up special.”

“We’ll just have a couple of slices of cheese please,” Sam said as he elbowed his brother.

“Alrighty then. Will that be for here or to go?”

“For here,” replied Dean before Sam could respond.

Grabbing a couple of plates and laying them on the tray, the young woman served up the slices of pizza and handed the tray to the brothers over the counter.

“You can pay at the register around the corner by the casual dining area. Anything else I can do for you?”

“No,” remarked Sam, beating Dean to the punch this time. “Thank you.”

“Thank you. And have a wonderful rest of your day,” the woman responded cheerily.

After paying, Sam sat down and began eating while Dean filled up their cups with water at the soda fountain. 

Dean joined his brother at the table and said, “You don’t have to be such a cock block, you know.”

“I’m not…” responded Sam. “You know what. Go ahead. Ask her for her number. I’m sure that big ol’ rock on her left hand means she’s just dying to get laid.”

“You’re just jealous.”

“Jealous?! Dean, we’re just passing through. We don’t have time to stop so you can get your dick wet.”

“ _Sheesssh_ ,” replied Dean. “You don’t have to be such a bitch about it.”

“Jerk.”

Once they were done, Sam having eaten his slice and the slice Dean had only taken a bite or two of while he drained cup after cup of water, the two of them walked the aisles for a bit. Dean grabbed an empty cart.

“What do we need a cart for?” asked Sam. 

“I just wanted to pick up a few bottles of water for the road,” remarked Dean. “The mountain spring brand if they have it. None of that purified crap.”

Sam watched as Dean piled six cases of bottled water into the cart.

“You know,” the younger Winchester remarked. “All those plastic bottles are going to wind up in a landfill or the ocean. It’s really not good for the environment.”

Shaking his head in dismay, Dean just kept pushing the cart along, “Come on Sammy. Pick up some grub for the road, unless you want to waste more time by stopping again.”

“Want to go over to the bakery and look at what type of pies they have?”

“Not really feeling like pie right now. I just ate.”

“Fine. Hey, look. They have a health market section. Let’s go check it out.”

Rolling his eyes, Dean followed his brother.

“Organic, gluten-free, non-GMO, sugar-free, nut-free, cookies?” Dean questioned holding up a bag for Sam’s benefit. “Looks tasty.”

“Would you stop it?” Sam replied knocking the bag out of Dean’s hand and onto the floor.

Walking over and reaching down to pick up the cookies, a product on the bottom shelf caught Dean’s eye. The thin but wide green package was in his hands within a second. Another second later, the entire stock of the item was in Dean’s hands being dumped into the cart.

“What?!” Sam asked slightly alarmed picking up a package and looking at it. “Seaweed Nori? Dean, this is for making sushi.”

“It sounds good,” Dean shrugged.

“Dean,” Sam remarked, “I am honestly worried you are turning into a fish.”

“Shut up and pick something out already,” Dean said dismissively. “We need to get on the road.”

 


	4. Elders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Dean question a widow and investigate a bookstore while working the case.

The rumble of the Impala died, as Dean removed the key from the ignition. Peering over at the two-story white paneled house to the left, the older Winchester brother reached to grab the fake ID from Sam.

“Agent Plant?” Dean said, examining the small card. “I guess that makes you Agent Page?”

“Yep,” remarked Sam, straightening his tie in the rearview mirror.

“Why do you always get to be Page?”

Sam, however, didn’t answer because he was already stepping out of the car and onto the walkway leading up to the house.

Quick to join his younger brother, Dean exited the vehicle and took a few quick strides before falling into step with Sam. The two of them mounted the steps and ‘Agent Page’ rung the doorbell.

Giving his brother a quick glance, Sam said quietly, “Button your jacket.”

“I can’t,” replied Dean as he pulled the edges of the suit coat together. “Must’ve shrunk at the dry—“

“Hello?” a weary-looking woman interrupted as she opened the door.

“Yes,” Sam rebounded, “hello. I’m federal Agent Page and this is my associate, Agent Plant. We were wondering if we could come in and speak with you.”

“Um…,” the woman said warily as she took a few steps back, allowing the brothers to enter, “sure. Come in.”

“Thank you,” remarked Sam.

Once they had made their way into the living room, Dean turned to the woman and said, “We really appreciate you allowing us into your home Mrs. Johnston. Now if you don’t mind, we have a few questions about what happened to your husband.”

“It’s Dr. Johnston, actually,” the woman said, “I’m a physician. And my husband Richard runs… I mean… ran a used bookstore downtown. But I don’t know what I could possibly tell you, I already spoke with the local police.”

“We are very sorry for your loss, Dr. Johnston,” Sam empathized, “but we are following up on similar deaths that have been happening around the country. And we need to be thorough, so if there is anything you can tell us about Richard’s death, or the events leading up to his death, we’d greatly appreciate it.”

“What do you mean similar deaths?” Dr. Johnston questioned. “The police said it was some sort of gas leak.”

“And we aren’t saying it wasn’t,” remarked Dean. “But the report mentioned you smelled sulfur when you found your husband. Was there anything else weird or unusual that happened before or after the incident?”

“Nothing out of the usual,” remarked the woman. “Everything was normal. I was off that day but Richard had to open the shop so he left after breakfast. I got the kids ready and off to school. After that, I went downtown to meet him for lunch. And that’s… that’s when I found him?”

“And was anything missing? You mentioned the shop was a used bookstore. Did your husband mention recently coming in possession of a rare or interesting book?” Sam inquired.

“Now that you mention it,” she noted, “there was a religious text he had been quite excited about. He had gotten it from an estate sale. It was an old manuscript of some sort. That was what he was currently working on, verifying its authenticity. Richard even had a few Jesus boys stop by to take a look at it the day before he died.”

“Jesus boys?” Dean inquired. “What do you mean ‘Jesus boys’?”

“Oh, you know,” Johnston remarked, “they come in pairs, dark suits and ties, black name badges on their lapels…”

“Missionaries?” prodded Sam.

“Yes,” she proclaimed. “And they both had the same first name as well. I think it was Elmer.”

“And these Elmers,” asked Dean, “they came and spoke to your husband about the book?”

“Well, no,” the doctor remarked uncertainly. “He wasn’t home. I told them to stop by the shop… Agent Plant? Are you feeling okay?”

“What?” Dean faltered. He had lost focus and was beginning to feel nauseous.

“Here,” ordered the woman, “sit down. You look as pale as a ghost. Can I get you something?”

“Just a glass of water, if you don’t mind,” said Dean.

“Of course,’ Johnston replied kindly, “I’ll be right back.”

“Dean,” Sam said in a hushed tone, “are you alright?”

“Yeah,” remarked Dean. “Just a little light-headed. I’ll be fine. Just give me a moment.”

“Here we are,” Johnston announced, re-entering the room and handing the glass to Dean.

“Thank you,” Dean remarked before greedily gulping down the liquid.

Giving Dean a sideways look, Sam inquired, “Do you know if the manuscript still at the bookshop?”

“It has to be,” the woman answered. “Where else would it be?”

“We’ll look into it ma’am,” said Dean as he rose to his feet. “But right now, I could really use a bathroom. Do you mind?”

“Not at all. Down the hall and to the left.”

Not even stopping to say ‘thank you,’ Dean hurried down the hallway before darting into the bathroom.

“Your partner,” the doctor inquired, “has he been gulping down a lot of water lately and urinating frequently?”

“Yes,” replied Sam. “Should I be concerned?”

“Not necessarily. How is his appetite?”

“He hasn’t had much of one of late. Which is weird considering he usually wolfs down his food like it’s going to disappear.”

“Oh.”

“Oh? Is that bad?”

“I wouldn’t know for sure unless I were to take him into the office and do blood work but given his symptoms, it’s very possible that your partner is diabetic.”

“Could it be something else? A stomach bug or parasite of some sort?”

“Perhaps. But according to Occam’s Razor, the most likely scenario is the simplest and most apparent. And since he’s male, the symptoms point towards diabetes.”

“Does the diagnosis vary between genders?” Sam asked.

“No. But if he were a woman exhibiting those symptoms, my first action would be to do a pregnancy test. Obviously, not a likely diagnosis for your co-worker.”

***

Lifting up the yellow tape the cordoned off the small storefront, Dean motioned to his younger brother and said snarkily, “After you, princess.”

Sighing, Sam made his way under the tape and through the front door. As soon as he did, the powerful smell of sulfur hit him full in the face.

“ _Blaagghh_ ,” Dean spat as he too entered the building.

“Well one powerful demon was here alright,” Sam remarked.

“Or two,” said Dean.

“Two? What makes you say that?” Sam asked as he and Dean began to search the rows of books.

“Well, the doc said a couple of missionaries came to her door. That makes two.”

“Oh, right. The two guys named Elmer.”

“Not Elmer,” Dean said as he wandered over to the counter with the register

“What?” Sam questioned in disbelief. “She clearly said Elmer.”

“Oh, I know. But she’s wrong. The name of their tags read Elder, not Elmer. And it’s a title, not a name.”

“Title for what?”

“Mormon missionaries.”

“You’re kidding. What do you know about Mormons?”

“Not much,” Dean replied. “But what I do know is that they are all about spreading messages of hope and salvation. They’re not exactly the type to go around doing freelance work on ancient manuscripts.”

“ _Aaaaahhh_ ,” Sam shrieked as something brushed his leg.

“What?!” Dean said protectively as he pulled his gun from his holster stood up from behind the counter. “Sammy?!”

Coming back into view, Sam too had his gun drawn and was cautiously pointing it around.

“Meow,” said the three-legged cat as he jumped on the counter.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Sam said, “It’s just a cat.”

“And you’re just a pussy.”

“Dean!” Sam exclaimed in frustration.

“What,” Dean said dismissively, “you’re the one that screamed.”

“It’s not about that, it’s about… You know what, never mind. Well, at least now we know it wasn’t a gas leak.”

“And how’s that?”

“If it was a gas leak the cat would be dead.”

“And with no sign of the manuscript, that means…”

“It means,” Sam stated slowly, “that two demons have gotten their hands on the Eliakim Folio.”


	5. Another Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean's nightmares are getting worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoy the new chapter.... I know it's short but I didn't anticipate my brain grinding out a secondary plot but it's so interesting that I can't help but to develop it a bit more before posting the next chapter. 
> 
> I should note that I update the tags as I go because I HATE giving away plot points before they occur. 
> 
> Also, did you know you can now find me on [Tumblr](https://fanficwriter24601.tumblr.com)? YAY!

Tendrils of water crept across his face, ebbing up towards his nose and mouth. Thrashing around as best he could, Dean was unable to free himself from the intertwining streams of water that were snaking up his legs and pulling him down into the depths.

“Dean!” he heard his brother yell in the distance. “Dean!”

Fear enclosed around his heart as he was pulled down below the surface.

“ _Please Sammy_ ,” he fervently prayed, “ _pull me out! I can’t breathe! I’m drowning_!”

“Dean!” the voice called once again as rough hands gripped his shoulders tightly, pulling him to the surface.

Gasping for air, the older Winchester kicked violently at the undertow that was still endeavoring to keep a hold of him.

“Dean,” Sam called, “wake up!”

And suddenly he was back on solid ground, a bed beneath him and his brother sitting next to him, holding him up by his shoulders.

“Sammy?” Dean said, his voice halted as he frantically sucked in air. “The water, it was… it was.”

“It was what?” the younger Winchester asked, his voice full of concern.

A few more deep breaths were all it took for Dean to calm himself down and assess his situation.

“Never mind,” Dean said dismissively, “I’m fine. Just another dream. Go back to bed.”

“We need to talk about this,” Sam said using his most authoritative tone. “You can’t keep having these nightmares. Perhaps we should go back home and figure this out before something bad happens.”

“Something bad has already happened,” Dean groaned.

“What?” Sam asked. “You’re finally going to tell me why I found you passed out on the shore of that lake in Illinois without a stitch of clothing on?”

“Come on, Sam. You know I don’t remember any of that. Just get off my bed, will ya. I need to take a shower.”

Standing up quickly, Sam looked over his brother in the dim light.

“Dean did you… did you wet the bed?”

“Shut up, Bitch,” Dean growled as he untangled himself from the damp bed sheets. Getting up he pushed past his kid brother on his way to the restroom, shutting the door firmly behind him and peeling off his wet boxers.

“This is what you get for drinking like a fish,” Sam called through the closed door.

Ignoring the remarks, Dean turned on the shower waiting for the water to warm up before stepping under the cascading rivulets.

“ _I have better things to worry about than passing bladder infection_ ,” he thought as he rubbed his slightly aching lower abdomen. “ _Just need a round of antibiotics and I’ll be fine_. _Then the discomfort and swelling will subside. I’ll be fine. Just fine._ ”

Trying to dismiss the uneasiness he felt, Dean focused on the case at hand: The Eliakim Folio. This antique manuscript was possibly written by one of the Princes of Hell. In it, it held the secrets of how Lucifer had created the first and most powerful demons. Azazel, Lilith, Alastair; Dean shuddered at their names. The last thing they needed was more of their ilk running amok.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are greatly appreciated :D


	6. A Visit to the Doctor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip to the clinic is cut short.

“Is this really necessary?” Dean queried as he sat on the exam table clothed only in socks, boxers, and a loose-fitting hospital gown.

“Yes,” Sam maintained, “your lack of appetite alone should be reason enough. Not to mention you drink water like a fish, are gaining weight, having night-terrors, and last but definitely not least, you’ve become basically incontinent.”

The younger Winchester had been counting the reasons on his fingers and with each digit on his hand extended, he shook it at his brother.

Dean, however, was quick to snap back, listing off reasons on his own hand, “First off, I am eating. That seaweed stuff might look weird but it tastes great and it’s high in fiber, potassium, and protein. Second, it’s important to stay hydrated. Third, I’m not getting fat, so how dare you. Four, those dreams have nothing to do with this. And fifth, that was one time, okay? I told you, it’s probably just a little infection. Some antibiotics will clear it right up.”

“Sure, Dean,” Sam remarked, “and that’s why we’re here. So we can get you a prescription.”

“Then why did you insist they run tests?”

Exasperated, Sam shook his head and huffed, “I just want to cover our bases.”

“How did I let you convince me this was a good idea,” the older Winchester said, “I don’t know. What I do know is that we have more important things to be doing than sitting around all day waiting for some test results that are just going to come back negative. Sam? You even listening to me?”

Having retrieved his phone from his pocket, Sam had become engrossed with the contents of whatever he was reading because he did not reply.

“Sam?!”

Startled, the younger Winchester looked up, his face now pale. “Dean, we got to go.”

Frowning, Dean quickly stripped off the gown and began dressing. “What is it?”

“Um,” Sam hesitated, not knowing how to convey the content of the information he had just obtained.

Pulling the phone from his brother’s hand, Dean looked at the screen:

POLICE URGENTLY REQUEST PUBLIC ASSISTANCE IN LOCATING SEVEN MISSING NEWBORNS

“Shit,” he exclaimed, “those fucking demons.”

“Seven seals, seven deadly sins, seven infants. This isn’t a coincidence, Dean. Those demons have the folio and are collecting ingredients.”

Having pulled on his boots, Dean was out the door, Sam right behind him.

A few moments later they were in the Impala and Dean was peeling out from the parking lot, headed towards the highway.

“Which way we going, Sammy?”

“East,” Sam replied.

“How far East?”

“North Carolina, that’s where the infants disappeared.”

“Where exactly?”

It’s not one city but across a couple of counties, Avey and Watauga,” Sam stated but then falteringly added. “But there’s a small town there that’s probably our best bet to find them.”

“How do you figure that?” Dean insisted.

“Because,” Sam gulped, “the town is called Seven Devils.”

“Damn,” Dean swore as he pressed on the accelerator and sped down the road.

 


	7. Roadtrip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Winchester boys take a ride.

By the time the Winchester boys hit the half-way mark, it was well past dark. Dean, feeling like he was about nod off, decided to pull over at the next available rest stop.

“You okay?” Sam inquired when he saw Dean switch on his blinker and turn onto the exit ramp.

“Yeah,” the older Winchester replied, a near empty water bottle in hand. “I’m fine. Just a little a tired. And I could use a piss. You mind taking a turn at the wheel for a bit?”

“Sure. I can do that.”

“Good.”

It was the most they had spoken since getting in the car. Both of them too preoccupied with the knowledge of what awaited them in North Carolina.

Once they had gotten to the rest stop and both of them had gotten out and stretched their legs a bit, it was time to hit the road again. Though not before Dean downed another bottle of water.

“You’re not going to get tired and fall asleep on me, are you?” Dean asked as he climbed into the passenger seat. “I’d like to get through this state as quickly as possible.”

“What do you mean by that?” Sam replied, clearly confused.

With a sigh, Dean shook his head grumbled, “We’re in Illinois.”

“And…”

“And the last time I was in this state, I didn’t exactly wake up in the same place I remember falling asleep.”

“Oh,” Sam responded, hoping that if he didn’t make a big deal of it that Dean would finally give him more details about that night.

“Promise me if you get tired, wake me up,” Dean cautioned. “Whatever you do, don’t pull over thinking you’ll just close your eyes for a few minutes.”

“Is that what happened the last time we drove through this way, back in March?”

“Can you just give it a rest, Sam?” the anger in Dean’s voice, clear as day.

“Sorry,” Sam apologized. “I won’t fall asleep. You get some rest. I’ll wake you up when we hit Indiana.”

With a huff, the elder Winchester slumped in his seat and rested his head against the window. A few minutes later, Sam could hear the soft snores that indicated that his brother was no longer conscious.

***

“ _Mmmmhhhhm_ ,” Dean groaned, rubbing his eyes and reaching in the back for something to drink, “where are we?”

“Kentucky,” the younger Winchester replied with a yawn.

“Kentucky?! Sam, you were supposed to wake me up in Indiana.”

“I tried, Dean. But you were out cold.”

“Fine. Just pull over. I’m driving.”

Sam didn’t protest as he followed his brother’s directions.

Once Dean was in the driver’s seat, Sam wanted nothing more than to catch a few Z’s but he didn’t want to waste the opportunity to talk.

“You know, I while you were asleep, I got to thinking.”

“And?” Dean’s reply was curt.

“And I am worried we don’t have that much time to stop these demons. We both know that seven is a very biblical number. It is repeated over and over in both the Old and the New Testament, as an indication of perfection. And Lucifer, well it only makes sense that he copy what he had seen his old man do. Trying to make something perfect by utilizing the number seven as well.”

“Except Lucy’s idea of perfection is the utter destruction of life as we know it, the world in flames.”

“Right. Problem is we don’t know what’s written in the Eliakim Folio. But I’m thinking that it’s an incantation that says if you kill seven babies on the seventh day of the seventh month in the town of Seven Devils, it will release enough cosmic juice to super-charge a couple of demons.”

“Sam,” Dean replied, “we don’t have anything to support that theory.”

“We don’t have time to research or to figure out the details,” Sam argued. “The seventh is tomorrow. Those babies will be dead by then if they’re not already.”

“Jeez, Sammy! Give it a rest, will ya? We will be there in a few hours. All we have to do is run in and save the day. Saving people, hunting things, it’s what we do. Don’t forget that.”

“Sorry,” Sam muttered, “I just haven’t slept and I’m worried about you and —“

“You don’t have to worry about me,” Dean said, cutting him off. “I’m fine. You try and sleep until we get there. We both need to be ready to face whatever those two demons have up their sleeve.”


	8. Black-eyed Fiends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Winchesters track down and confront the demons.

Pulling into the town of Seven Devils, the Winchester boys were both now wide awake. The sound of the Impala’s engine rumbled to stop as Dean parked the car and switched off the ignition.

Breathing a heavy sigh, Sam fretted, “I sure hope we’re in the right place.”

“We are,” remarked Dean, his tone assured and confident. “This place reeks of sulfur.”

“Really?” the younger Winchester inquired, rolling his window down and sniffing the outside air briefly.

“Yes, really.”

“Okay, fine then. What’s the plan?”

“I’m working on it,” Dean replied as he opened his door. “Stay here, Sam.”

Sam looked on as his brother entered a nearby hardware store, not at all pleased to be left behind. Nevertheless, it did not take long for the older hunter to return, a large bottle of water in one hand and a bag containing a cylindrical object in the other.

“What did you get?” Sam asked as Dean got back into the car and handed him the bag.

“Well,” Dean replied, “I figured since there are infants involved, we don’t want to run in guns-a-blazing. We need to trap both of those hell-spawns before we can try killing or exorcising them.”

“So that’s what this wire is for?” the younger hunter asked, as he pulled the very large spool from the bag.

“I figured we find their hidey-hole and make a quick and dirty Devil’s Trap with the iron gauged wire encompassing the area. Once it’s complete, they can’t use their powers and we can swoop in and gank the douche-bags.”

“And how are we supposed to find them, Dean? It’s not like they’ve left a trail or anything.”

“Easy,” the older Winchester replied as though he had been asked a silly question, “we just follow the smell.”

“Since when do you suddenly possess the olfactory abilities of a bloodhound?” Sam asked skeptically.

Shrugging his shoulders, Dean answered, “It’s just something that I noticed happening the last couple of months. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

“But Dean—“

“Sam! Enough already! Just shut up.”

Unnerved by his brother’s sudden anger, Sam slumped in his seat. Sure, they had a task to complete: babies to save and demons to kill. However, that didn’t change the fact that his brother was experiencing definite and serious physiological changes: the constant thirst, the strange craving for seaweed, the weight gain, and now a heightened sense of smell. Something was very wrong.

***

Seeing the dilapidated barn in the distance, Dean maneuvered the vehicle off to the side of the road, not wanting the sounds of the engine to alert the demons to their presence.

“Are you sure they are in there?” Sam asked.

“Yeah. I’m sure.”

Getting out of the car, Dean grabbed for his water bottle and downed the remaining contents before wiping his face. Meanwhile, his brother had gotten a few supplies from the trunk, including hex bags that would prevent any supernatural being from sensing their approach.

Sam tossed his brother a flask before instructing, “Don’t drink that.”

“Why? What is it?” Dean asked as he placed the container in the bag with the wire.

“Holy water.”

“Fine,” Dean remarked. “But it’s not like it would hurt me.”

Rolling his eyes, Sam trudged across the nearby field towards the barn. It was getting dark soon and the quicker they set up the Devil’s Trap, the sooner they’d be able to put this whole mess behind them. As the two of them approved the structure, they dropped closer to the ground.

“Alright,” Dean whispered, “we approach as quietly as possible. We need to verify that both our targets are in the barn before we start laying down the wire.”

“So the Devil’s Trap is going to around the whole area?” Sam asked in a hushed tone. “And the pentagon in the middle is the center and that has to be big enough the encompass the barn?”

“Yep.”

“Did you buy enough wire?”

“I bought the biggest spool they had in the store.”

“You know it’s going to take like a thousand feet of wire to do that, right?”

“Sammy,” Dean warned, “did you forget I was working construction while you were running around soulless for a year? I know how to calculate the amount of wire it takes to wire a whole house. This is child’s play.”

“Must have slipped my mind,” the younger Winchester explained. “My memories of back then are still kind of sketchy at times. Sorry.”

The two of them slowly crept up to the side of the barn and peek through a broken sideboard. Peering in, their suspicions were confirmed. Two baby-faced young men, one white and pasty with blonde hair, the other had a darker complexion and short black curls. Both were wearing crisp white short-sleeved shirts and black ties, they were busy making preparations. It looked as if they had drawn a seven-pointed star on the ground and a copper bowl in the middle appeared to be filled with blood.

Glancing over to the right, Dean observed a pastel blue and pink heap of blankets. He stood up and stepped carefully over to another breach in the siding so he could get a better view. Laying on top of the blankets were seven infants, their eyes closed. For a moment, the hunter’s heart sank as he thought they might be dead but then he noticed one a few of the babies were moving ever so slightly, their hands grasping at the air.

“ _Just sleeping_ ,” he thought to himself as he looked over at Sam and gave him a thumbs up.

“Degon, what time is it?” asked the blonde demon.

“8:46,” replied the other who was paging through what had to be the Eliakim Folio.

“We have a little less than two hours until the moon is in position. And then…"

“And then,” the dark demon finished, “hello ultimate demonic power! No more bowing down before uppity usurpers like Crowley.”

“I can hardly wait. Now, you get the knives and I’ll get the bab—-“

Whatever the demon had said was cut off by the combined electronic cords of _Smoke On The Water_ and _Rock You Like A Hurricane._

“Shitshitshitshit,” hissed Dean as he grappled to silence the phone in his pocket.

Sam giving Dean “the look," his eyes wide and nostrils flaring, was bad enough but it was followed by Degon saying, “What was that?”

“I dunno. Give me a second.”

Pulling the rune engraved hunting knife from its sheath in his waistband, Sam lunged at the demon as soon as he came around the corner.

“ _Ahhhhhhhhhh,_ ” screamed the demon as a reddish aura flashed within his meatsuit, illuminating the bones within the slender frame.

One demon down, Dean steady himself, pulled out his handgun, made sure the chamber was full of Devil’s Trap engraved bullets, and waited for the second demon to show his ugly mug. Instead, he found himself flung back into the air and landing hard enough on the ground to knock the wind out of him.

“Winchesters!” the demon spat. “I should’ve known.”

Raising himself up on his elbows, Dean reached for his gun that had landed a few feet away. However, Degon flicked his wrist sending the gun spinning away.

“SAM!” Dean called as the black-eyed malevolent being approached him. But the younger Winchester was lying motionless next to the barn where he must’ve landed when thrown by the demon’s telekinesis.

“Your little brother can’t help you now, Dean,” the dark demon seethed. “Pity, I would’ve loved for him to watch me rip you limb from limb.”

“That hardly seems fair,” Dean muttered struggling to his feet, “aren’t you at least going to buy me dinner first.”

A dry cackle filled the air as Degon laughed, “For all the rumors I have heard about you, Dean Winchester, no one mentioned you were funny. I’m going to enjoy killing you all the more.”

“Laugh it up, douchebag,” the hunter replied. “You must’ve not paid close enough attention to those stories about my brother and I. You see, we always come out on top. Your partner in crime is already dead, why not smoke out of that meat suit while you still can?”

Grinning ear to ear, the demon countered, “I really should thank you for that. Saved me the hassle of doing it myself. Sven might’ve been responsible for devising this whole plan but he was really narrow-minded when it came to the scope of power this ritual endows. He was so naïve, he really thought I would share it with a lesser demon like him.”

Degon was only a foot or two away from him now and Dean pretended to glance down at his feet when really he was tending his muscles to vault into that smug looking piece of shit.

Springing forward, Dean ran into the demon with all his might. It was like hitting a brick wall and the hunter landed on his ass with a thump.

“ _Tsk, tsk_ ,” the possessed young man chided as he reached down and wrapped his hand around Dean’s throat and pulling him up to eye level.

Try as he might, he couldn’t free himself. And every blow Dean landed seem to bounce right off leaving the demon unaffected.

“Oh, Dean,” the demon muttered, a hint of surprise in his voice, “what do we have here?”

Lowering his free hand to Dean abdomen he brushed his fingers along the hunter’s belly.

“Don’t you fucking touch me!” Dean gasped.

“It seems,” the demon said with a laugh, “that you have been blessed!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dean growled as he pulled back from the demon’s touch while trying to pry the fingers off of his throat. But as soon as he had said it, the hunter knew it was a lie. There was something wrong with him and the black-eyed fiend could sense it. Calling it a blessing was just a cruel joke. But what _it_ was, he did not know.

“I’m talking about that nymph you must’ve run into. Though it beats me how you got one of them to touch you let alone bless you considering how much they despise humans.”

Feeling the fingers around his throat grip him even tighter, Dean’s snarky comeback was inhibited by his depleted air supply.

“ _Nymph? I don’t remember any nymph_ ,” the hunter thought wildly.

“After you’re dead,” Degon pronounced, “I’m going to cut you open and see it for myself. I’m curious what it will—“

His last words were cut off as Sam stabbed the demon in the back. The reddish flicker of light was gone before the demon had even hit the ground.

“Jeez Sam,” Dean lamented, rubbing his neck. “What took you so long?”

“He knocked me out. And by the time I regained consciousness, he already had his hand around your throat. You okay, by the way?”

“Yeah, Sammy. I’m good.”

“What was he talking about? Something about a nymph?”

“No idea,” the older Winchester replied as he slowly sauntered over to the side of the barn where they had dropped their supplies.

Dean did not want to discuss what the demon had been saying. He could only stretch his powers of denial so far and he didn’t want to face the fact that something might be growing inside of him. _A tumor, maybe? Or worse, some sort of parasite?_

“Well, I guess we didn’t need that wire after all,” Sam stated, as he watched Dean rummage through the bag.

“Guess not,” Dean replied as he pulled out the flask of holy water.

“What are you doing with that? The demons are dead.”

“I know.”

Unscrewing the top, Dean took a swig.

“Dean!”

“What?!” The older hunter defended himself, saying, “I’m really thirsty. Besides, don’t you have better things to do?”

“Like what?”

“Like checking on those babies.”

“Oh.”

Shaking his head, Dean made his way into the barn where he found the infants all snuggled together. Still asleep, by some miracle, but safe and unharmed.

Picking up a baby, Dean nestled the little girl to his chest and leaned his cheek against her soft bald head and breathing deeply.

“What are you doing?” Sam asked as he too gently handled the babies to make sure they were alright.

“Something about babies, man. They just smell so good.”

“Until they start peeing and vomiting everywhere.”

With a sideways grin, Dean replied, “Sounds like me on a Friday night.”

 


	9. Blessed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Dean return home after successfully saving the day... but now that's done, attention returns to Dean's more personal dilemma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay in updating this fic. I was unsure of the direction I wanted to take with this story but now I've decided. Tags have been updated.

Weary from the difficult past few days, Dean wanted nothing more than to go lie down in the privacy of his own room. Calling 911 and watching from afar as the local law enforcement had shown up and recovered the missing infants had been relatively easy. Getting back in the car with Sam and having his younger brother pester him about what the demon had said had been the difficult part. By the time they had crossed the border into Kansas, the pair were no longer speaking.

The clang of harden-rubber soles meeting the metal lattice of the balcony and its descending staircase punctuated the silence between the two brothers. It was clear neither of them was eager to continue the argument from the car.

“Well,” Sam imparted, “it’s good to be home.”

Dismissively, Dean replied, “Yeah, I’m going to go hit the head and then head off to bed.”

Eliakim Folio in hand, Sam turned in the opposite direction, headed towards the library. He intended on storing the document there for the time being.

Their heavy footfalls on the granite floor masked the sound of the figure approaching from behind them. Neither of the Winchesters noticed the man until he called out their names.

“Sam. Dean,” the husky tone of an Angel of the Lord called out to them.

“Jeez, Castiel!” Dean barked, spinning around. “You just can’t sneak up on a guy like that.”

“My apologies. I did not intend on causing you fright.”

“Cas,” Sam pointed out, “what are you doing here? I thought you were working on some sort of agreement with the angels still in heaven.”

“I was but there were unforeseen complications.”

“Complications like what?” Dean added.

As Dean spoke, the angel shifted his gaze to the older Winchester brother but once alighting there, his eyes went wide.

“Dean,” Castiel gaped, “you are… I mean… there’s something… different.”

“Alright, Cas, knock it off, will you? I’ve had enough issues with Sammy over here giving me crap. I don’t need you to lay into me as well.”

Wordlessly, the angel made his way over to the hunter before coming face-to-face with Dean.

“Cas… what are you—“

Dean was silenced as the angel placed his left hand on the older Winchester’s right shoulder. Glancing over at the hand and down Castiel’s dress shirt cuffed and trench-coat-clad arm, Dean’s gaze was returned to his friend’s face. Perplex by the sudden physical contact, the hunter waited to see what the angel did next.

Castiel laying the flat of his right palm against Dean’s chest before slowly sliding it down to where it rested on Dean’s slightly distended belly.

“Dean,” Cas’s words were almost hesitant, “I didn’t believe it possible… but you’ve … you’ve been blessed.”

Knocking the angel’s hands away, Dean snapped, “Alright, that’s it. Listen! I’ve gotten enough crap from that demon, Degon, in North Carolina. The last thing I need is to hear it from you too. Whatever ‘it’ is, it’s certainly not a blessing!”

His attempt at storming off was thwarted by Sam stepping in his way.

“No, Dean,” Sam insisted, “you have to stay. We need to know what is going on. Cas, tell him!”

“Sam’s right, Dean. I think it would be best if you told your brother was has transpired.”

“But I don’t know!” the hunter practically shrieked. “Okay?! I don’t know anything. All I know is you two aren’t helping.”

“Dean,” Castiel conceded, “had I known that you had relations with a being that hasn't had contact with humans since before the Byzantine era, I would have—“

“Just spit it out already!”

“Dean, you’ve clearly had an encounter with a naiad.”

“A what?!”

“A naiad. Naiads were one of the most powerful creatures within the Greek deity hierarchy. From as far back as the Mesopotamian era, these female like demi-gods inhabited lakes, rivers, and streams. Ancient mankind would seek the favor of these beings in order to reach the highest elevations of a transcendent state. Even angels have been known to be tempted by their power and blessed with their majesty.

“But with the influx of other belief systems into the region, their power dwindled. And like many of their ilk, they choose a life of solitude rather than to be exiled by those who once worshipped them. Due to the fact that they could no longer bless mankind with their gifts, their numbers dwindled. I had thought there were none left.”

Asking for clarification, Sam took a few steps closer, “What do you mean by gifts, Castiel? How has Dean been blessed with any gifts? He has terrible nightmares, is constantly uncomfortable, drinks nothing but water, and a multitude of other strange symptoms. That does not correlate with being given any sort of gift.”

Taking a step back, Castiel’s eyes roved all over the older hunter’s body before replying, “Dean is pregnant.”

Dean’s face exploded in a grin and he started to laugh so hard he could barely catch his breath. The idea was so ludicrous that it completely thrust aside the worry that had been pushing in on him for months.

“Cas,” he laughed, wiping at his watering eyes, “I hate to break it to you buddy but that’s not possible. Human males can’t get pregnant. We don’t have the right equipment for it.”

“Then you’ve obviously never heard the tale of Homacrates. It’s not that men can’t get pregnant, it’s that they no longer associate with the beings who are able to bless them in that respect. It’s a reversal of the ploy-gorgon-osmosis process. Though how you managed to have sexual intercourse with a naiad in this day and age is beyond my understanding.”

Dean was not convinced.

“Pretty sure that if I had gotten pregnant by a water-sprite, I would remember it.”

“Well,” Sam interjected, “you don’t exactly remember what happened to you before I found you naked and unconscious on a lake shore a few months back.”

“Oh, well…,” Dean muttered, “that has nothing to do with this.”

Castiel was clearly in a state of disbelief as he said, “Are you saying you don’t remember waking up naked or that you don’t remember engaging in coitus with a mythological creature? Because I don’t know how you could forget that. The quickening of the host is supposedly the most amazing experience a human can have.”

“It wasn’t amazing, alright,” Dean retorted. “Because what little I remember is what flashes I get when I’m having those nightmares. And it’s terrifying. Okay?”

“Dean,” Castiel replied, “are you sure you don’t remember? Surely the naiad gave you instructions where and when to return so she can assist in the birthing. Maybe I should…”

The angel reach forward as if to put his hands on either side of the hunter’s head but Dean slapped his hands away.

“Dean!” Sam insisted. “You should let Cas help you.”

“No!” Dean shouted back as he stormed off. “You two are lunatics. Until you two come to your senses, I’ll be I my room.”

Sighing, Sam rubbed his face with his hands before looking over at Castiel.

“So Dean had sex with a mermaid, uh?”

“Not exactly…”

**Author's Note:**

> I really enjoy getting comments. So if you are so inclined, please leave one. I would love to hear from you and I promise to respond :)


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